Supply  That is going to hit everybody, not just the rich we so often hear about. What about a carbon tax? Give it any name you like, I do not think it is dead yet. If any kind of unity is to be promoted in this country it had better be put to rest once and for all. What are the solutions?

Taxation  I am not quite sure what further debate the Reform Party would like to see. We have listened to the members ad nauseam putting up strawmen like carbon taxes and everything else. One day the leader of the Reform Party talked about what it cost per minute to listen to this House. We have blown a billion dollars listening to the Reform Party.

Committees Of The House  The government said: "We can do that for all Canadians and it will not hurt them". One of my colleagues said it was a kind of carbon tax. We cannot really say it is that because it does not focus completely on Alberta. It affects all people right across Canada. Last week I was listening to an Ottawa radio program. They were discussing the cost of fuel in Ottawa versus Toronto.

Department Of Natural Resources Act  The infamous national energy program of a previous Liberal administration is an example of Liberal gouging that still haunts the energy industry. The industry will not stand for another form of carbon tax no matter how the government chooses to disguise it. Instead of presenting these reorganization bills such as Bill C-48, why does the government not assure us that there will be no raping of the energy industry via taxation or via regulation?

Global Climate Change  To proceed with an energy plan based on flimsy and rather badly scientifically studied evidence I would say is irresponsible, and I wonder if the long term motive behind all of this might be to excuse the installation of the carbon tax. We have discussed that several times in the House. But suppose global warming is a real threat? What are the reasonable alternatives? The motion speaks of alternative energy sources, but in my experience alternative energy, as most people describe it, could more properly be described as "supplementary energy".

Supply  In the finance department again we are looking for transparency. There is an absolute refusal to make a commitment on the question of a carbon tax or taxation of RRSPs. Justice department is an interesting case where there is the opposite of transparency. There is excruciating transparency when dealing with such things as the proposed firearms legislation.

Court Challenges Program  Yet this same level of government is contemplating raising personal taxes, implementing a carbon tax, taxing RRSP contributions and doing little to fight the debt or deficit. Our national debt is rising by $1,743 every second and is now $538,860,511,635.87.

Taxation  Yet through her rather uncharacteristic silence she has implied that even higher gasoline and carbon taxes are possible; she has implied that. My question is for the Minister of the Environment. So that it is very clear to Canadians, will the Minister of the Environment demonstrate her commitment to improving the productivity, as was stated in the paper yesterday, of Canadian business by rejecting any kind of proposed tax grab in the carbon industry?

Department Of Natural Resources Act  Madam Speaker, in spite of the fact that this government continues to tell us that a carbon tax or a green tax is not a consideration, it continues to come up in the news almost daily. Therefore, it continues to be of concern to us who come from those resource producing regions.

Department Of Natural Resources Act  Second, maybe he could confirm the rather strong position taken by the Prime Minister with respect to a carbon tax.

Department Of Natural Resources Act  Our forest resources need protection, development and sustainable development if we are to continue to be a world leader in these things. With respect to a carbon tax I have a few comments. If we adopt green accounting in the resource industries, it might serve the same purpose. It might put in the hands of the captains of industry the kind of techniques, the kind of information that they need in order to make the kind of decisions that will continue to sustain us in the fields of forestry and mining.

Registered Retirement Savings Plan  Speaker, I keep hearing about new taxes from the Reform Party. I do not hear the Minister of Finance discussing new taxes. First I heard of a carbon tax. Now I hear of a tax on RRSPs. All these suggestions of new taxes come from members of the Reform Party and not a single idea on a cut in spending comes from them.

Taxation  Speaker, I do not think that the leader of the Reform Party will be more successful with this trial balloon that he is trying to scare people with than with the so-called carbon tax that he invented, something we were not even talking about. Having nothing else to do, not being able to criticize anything we are doing, he is trying to invent problems. Do not worry, we have enough problems like that.

Supply  In order for Canadian business to remain internationally competitive, the Reform Party believes it would be advisable that Canada not get too far ahead of its major trading partners in issues like greening of national accounts or imposition of green or carbon taxes. In the context of this speech today, this example relates to the potential fracturing of Canada with the separation of the province of Quebec. Obviously the separatist leader had the autonomy and control of Quebec as an objective.

Canada Petroleum Resources Act  Canada is very dependent on revenues generated by the petroleum sector. The imposition of additional taxes such as the rumoured carbon tax could dramatically curtail growth in this sector, throwing many thousands of people out of work. There must be a balance between environmental concerns and jobs for young Canadians.